Moving robot and method of controlling the same

ABSTRACT

According to a moving robot and a method of controlling the same of the present disclosure, the moving robot detect the sound generated in the area, moves a sound generation point according to a type of the sound and an operation mode, analyzes an image of the sound generation point and determines an indoor situation to perform the corresponding operation. The moving robot detects the sound to determine an accident at a location at which the sound is generated, can automatically perform a specified operation corresponding to the generated accident even when there is no control command of a user, and thus, it is possible rapidly respond to the generated accident. The moving robot can divide an object generating the sound into a person, a companion animal, and a subject, and can perform different operations according to the object.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a moving robot and a method ofcontrolling the same, and particularly, to a moving robot which travelsaccording to a sound generated in an area and performs a specifiedoperation and a method of controlling the same.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, a moving robot self-travels within an area and performs aspecified operation.

In recent years, the moving robot is used in various forms such as aguide robot, a cleaning robot, a mowing robot, a security patrol robot,and a translation robot. For example, a cleaning robot sucks foreignsubstances such as dust from a bottom surface and automatically performsthe cleaning.

The moving robot may create a map for an area while traveling thecorresponding area. The moving robot may travel the area based on thegenerated map.

Korean Laid-Open Patent Application No. 10-2015-0086074 discloses ahuman care method of a robot cleaner. The robot cleaner includes a mainbody having a cleaning module, a driver for moving the main body, animage generator for generating image information of a management target,a communicator which is provided to communicate with an externalcommunication means and transmits the image information to the externalcommunication means, and a controller which recognizes the managementtarget and performs a control so that the management target is includedin the image information according to a location change of themanagement target.

The robot cleaner recognizes the management target to capture an imagefor the management target and transmits the captured image informationto an outside.

The robot cleaner recognizes the management target and captures theimage while moving along with a movement of the management target totransmit the captured image to the outside. Accordingly, the robotcleaner can check a state of the management target through an externalterminal.

The robot cleaner of the related art captures the image and transmitsthe captured image, and thus, can check the state of the managementtarget. However, the robot cleaner is limited only to capture the imagefor the management target, and thus, is limited to only monitoring ofthe management target.

Even when a problem occurs, the robot cleaner simply performs thecapturing, and thus, there is a limitation because the robot cleanerdoes not include a content for a practical human care.

Accordingly, a method of going beyond a simple monitoring operation,checking a state of the subject, performing an operation correspondingto the checking, immediately responding to a danger or an emergencysituation to perform a necessary operation on the subject, and thus,performing a practical care is necessary.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem

The present disclosure provides a moving robot and a method ofcontrolling the same capable of detecting an accident occurring in a setarea to perform a specified operation.

The present disclosure provides a moving robot and a method ofcontrolling the same capable of collecting and analyzing a soundgenerated in an area, moving a location where the sound is generated todetermine a situation where the sound is generated, and performing anoperation corresponding to the determination.

The present disclosure provides a moving robot and a method ofcontrolling the same capable of recognizing and analyzing an objectwhich generates a sound in an area and performing an operationcorresponding to the object and the accident situation.

The present disclosure provides a moving robot and a method ofcontrolling the same capable of dividing an object such as children, anelderly person, and a companion animal, as well as water facilities andcraters so as to manage a plurality of objects.

Solution to Problem

The present disclosure provides a moving robot and a method ofcontrolling the same capable of detecting a sound generated in an areato determine an accident in the area.

In the present disclosure, the moving robot determines a soundgeneration point through the detected sound and moves, and determines anaccident generated at the corresponding location.

In the present disclosure, the moving robot recognize an objectgenerating the sound through the detected sound, and performs a specificoperation depending on the object generating the sound.

In the present disclosure, the moving robot analyzes a cause of a soundoccurrence to determine an environment change in the area, detects theaccident corresponding the environment change and reports the accident.

In the present disclosure, the moving robot divides the object into aperson and a companion animal and performs an operation corresponding tothe object.

In the present disclosure, the moving robot captures an image at thesound generation point, transmits the image to a designation terminal,and performs a specific operation or reports to a designated contactaccording to the cause of the sound occurrence and the object.

In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a moving robotincluding: a main body configured to travel an area; a sensor unitconfigured to include a plurality of sensors and detects an obstacle ora movement; an audio input unit to configured to collect a sound; asound recognizer configured to analyze the sound collected by the audioinput unit and determine a type of the sound; an image acquirerconfigured to capture an image; and a controller configured to cause themain body to move to a sound generation point according to the type ofthe sound and an operation mode, analyze the image captured by the imageacquirer at the sound generation point to determine an indoor situation,and performs an operation corresponding to the indoor situation.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a methodof controlling a moving robot, including: detecting, by an audio inputunit, a sound generated in an area; analyzing the sound to determine atype of the sound; moving the moving robot to a sound generation pointaccording to the type of the sound and an operation mode; capturing animage for the sound generation point; and analyzing the image todetermine an indoor situation and performing an operation correspondingto the indoor situation.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the moving robot and the method of controlling the same ofthe present disclosure, the moving robot can detect the sound generatedin the area and determine the accident at the location at which thesound is generated.

According to the present disclosure, the moving robot can perform thespecified operation corresponding to the sound detected in the specificoperation mode.

According to the present disclosure, the moving robot collects the soundeven in the normal mode in which the specific operation mode is set, andcan determine the accident with respect to the environment change, thestate of the person, and the change of the material within the area.

According to the present disclosure, even when the user does not checkthe data transmitted from the moving robot, the moving robot canautomatically perform the specified operation according to the generatedaccident.

According to the present disclosure, the moving robot performs theoperation corresponding to the generated sound, and thus, it is possibleto rapidly respond to the generated accident.

According to the present disclosure, the moving robot can divide theobject generating the sound into the person, the companion animal, andthe subject, and can perform different operations according to theobject.

According to the present disclosure, the moving robot can determine theoccurrence of the accident according to the generated sound.

According to the present disclosure, the moving robot moves to thelocation at which the sound is generated to capture the image, and thus,the user can check the scene of the accident.

According to the present disclosure, the moving robot can check thestate with respect to the designated object to perform the operationcorresponding to the state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a moving robot according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary view for explaining a sound detection object ofthe moving robot according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration ofthe moving robot according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a signal flow according to anoperation of the moving robot according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method in which the moving robotaccording to the embodiment of the present disclosure detects a soundand controls an operation.

FIGS. 6A to 6C are views illustrating an embodiment of an operationaccording to a security mode setting of the moving robot according tothe embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method according to thesecurity mode setting of the moving robot according to the embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIGS. 8A to 8C are views illustrating an embodiment of an operation ofthe moving robot according to the embodiment of the present disclosurewith respect to a life noise.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the moving robotaccording to the embodiment of the present disclosure with respect tothe life noise.

FIGS. 10A to 10C are views illustrating an embodiment of an operationwhen the moving robot according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure detects an occupant.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the moving robotaccording to the embodiment of the present disclosure when the movingrobot detects the occupant.

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

Advantages and features of the present disclosure and a method forachieving the advantages and features will become apparent by referringto an embodiment described below in detail with reference with theaccompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited tothe embodiment disclosed below, but may be implemented in variousdifferent forms. That is, the present embodiment is provided to make thepresent disclosure to be complete and to fully inform a person havingordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the presentdisclosure belongs of the scope of the disclosure, and the presentdisclosure is only defined by the scope of the claims. The samereference numerals indicate the same constituent elements through theentire specification. A control configuration of the present disclosuremay be constituted by at least one processor.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a moving robot according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, a moving robot 1 according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure includes a main body 10 which moves in an area andperforms a specified operation, and a detecting means which is disposedon a front surface of the main body 10 and detects an obstacle.

Hereinafter, a cleaning robot configured to suck foreign substances suchas dust on a floor while the moving robot travels is described as anexample, but any other robot capable of performing autonomous travelingis applicable.

The main body 10 may include a casing (not illustrated) which forms anexterior and forms a space in which parts constituting the main body 10are accommodated and a left wheel (not illustrated) and a right wheel(not illustrated) which are provided rotatably in the casing. As theright and left wheels rotate, the main body 10 moves along a bottom ofan area.

The main body 10 may include a traveler (not illustrate) which drivesthe right wheel and the left wheels. The traveler may include at leastone drive motor.

A control panel including an operator (not illustrated) for receivingvarious commands to control the moving robot 1 from a user is providedon an upper surface of the casing.

The detecting means includes a sensor unit (not illustrate) whichincludes a plurality of sensors and an image acquirer 170 which capturesan image, and detects an obstacle located in a traveling direction.

The image acquirer 100 may include at least one camera, captures animage by a camera, and can detect the obstacle from the captured image.

The image acquirer 100 may be disposed on a front surface of the mainbody 10.

The image acquirer 100 captures an image in the traveling direction ofthe moving robot 1. The image acquirer 100 may capture a front or aceiling in the traveling direction. The image acquirer 100 may beprovided to face the ceiling, or may be provided toward forward tocapture the front in the traveling direction.

Moreover, according to an installation location of the image acquirer100 and an installation angle in the traveling direction in the mainbody 10, the image acquirer 100 may simultaneously capture the front inthe traveling direction and the upward side, that is, the ceiling in thetraveling direction. In the image acquirer, an angle of view capturedmay be set differently according to performance of the installed cameraor a type of lens.

The image acquirer 100 is described as an example in which at least onecamera is included, and any image acquisition means for capturing animage regardless of a type of the camera can be applied.

The image acquirer 100 may include a plurality of cameras, and twocameras facing the front and the ceiling may be respectively installedon the front surface and an upper end portion of the main body so as tocapture the images of the front and the ceiling, respectively. Inaddition, the image acquirer 100 may separately include a camera whichcaptures the bottom surface.

The sensor unit 150 may include an infrared sensor, an ultrasonicsensor, and a laser sensor to detect the obstacle. The sensor unit mayinclude a 3D sensor which irradiates an image with a light pattern anddetects an obstacle through the captured image.

In addition, for example, the sensor unit 150 may include an inclinationsensor such as a tilting sensor or a gyro sensor to detect aninclination of the main body 10, and may include an illuminance sensorto detect brightness of the area where the main body 10 is located.

The moving robot 1 may further include a location acquiring means (notillustrated) for obtaining current location information. The movingrobot 1 includes a GPS and a UWB to determine a current location.

For example, the moving robot for cleaning is configured to suck foreignsubstances such as dust on the bottom during the traveling. The movingrobot includes a suction unit 180 which is disposed in the casing tosuck the foreign substances such as dust or garbage, and the foreignsubstances are sucked through the suction unit (not illustrated) formedtoward the bottom surface during cleaning.

The suction unit 180 may include a suction fan (not illustrated) forgenerating suction power, and a suction port (not illustrated) throughwhich an airflow generated by rotation of the suction fan is sucked. Thesuction unit 261 may include a filter (not illustrated) for collectingthe foreign substances from the airflow sucked through the suction port,and a foreign substance collection container (not illustrated) in whichthe foreign substances collected by the filter is accumulated.

The suction unit 180 includes a rotating brush (not illustrated), andthe rotating brush is rotated when the suction unit sucks the airflow toassist the collection of the foreign substances. The suction unit isconfigured to be detachable as necessary. The main body 10 may furtherincludes a plurality of brushes (not illustrated) which are located on afront side of a bottom surface of the casing, and have brushes includinga plurality of blades extending radially.

A damp floorcloth cleaner may be attached to and detached from thesuction unit 180. The damp floorcloth cleaner may be mounted on a rearsurface of the suction port. In some cases, the damp floorcloth cleanermay be configured separately from the suction unit and can be replacedand mounted at a location fastened to the suction unit. The dampfloorcloth cleaner rotates while moving and wipes the bottom surface ina traveling direction.

The main body 10 may further includes a plurality of brushes (notillustrated) which are located on the front side of the bottom surfaceof the casing, and have brushes including the plurality of bladesextending radially. The plurality of brushes are rotated to remove thedust from the bottom of the area to be cleaned, and thus, the dustseparated from the bottom is sucked through the suction port and iscollected in the collection container.

The main body 10 includes a rechargeable battery (not illustrated). Acharging terminal (not illustrated) of the battery is connected to acommercial power source (for example, a power outlet in home), or themain body 10 docks with a separate charging stand 40 connected to thecommercial power source and the charging terminal is electricallyconnected to the commercial power source through a contact with aterminal of the charging stand, and thus, charging of the battery may beperformed. Electric components constituting the moving robot 1 can besupplied with power from the battery, and thus, the moving robot 1 inwhich the battery is charged can self-travel in a state where the movingrobot is electrically separated from the commercial power source.

Hereinafter, the moving robot 1 will be described as an example of themoving robot for cleaning, but is not limited to this, and a robot whichautonomously travels an area and detects sound is applicable.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary view for explaining a sound detection object ofthe moving robot according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the moving robot 1 detects a sound generatedwithin an area.

The moving robot 1 may collect and analyze he sound through the audioinput unit to determine a type of the sound.

The moving robot 1 may perform a division between the areas, andsimultaneously, detect a sound S1 generated from a door 11 connectingthe areas to each other through an opening or closing operation. Themoving robot 1 may detect sounds such as a sound generated when a swingdoor is closed, a sound generated when a sliding door is opened orclosed, a button sound of a door lock, or a sound effect caused by theopening or closing of a door.

The moving robot 1 may detect a sound 2 of home appliances 12.

The moving robot 1 can detect sound generated by home appliances such asa television (TV), an audio device, a refrigerator, a washing machine, adryer, an air cleaner, an air conditioner, a vacuum cleaner, and amicrowave oven.

The moving robot 1 may detect a life noise S4 such as a sound 14 ofwater, a warning sound of a boiler, a sound generated when glass breaks,and a sound of a fire warning sound.

In addition, the moving robot 1 may detect a sound of an occupant and asound S3 of a companion animal 13.

In the case of a person, the moving robot 1 divides a voice includingsound information which can divide the person and the companion animal.For example, the moving robot 1 can divide voices of a man and a woman,voices of a baby and an old man, a sound of a person's laugh, a sneezesound, and a cry. In addition, the moving robot 1 may also recognize anddivide voices for each user through separate voice registration.

The moving robot 1 may detect a sound of a species for the companionanimal, for example, sounds of a dog and a cat.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration ofthe moving robot according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the moving robot 1 includes a traveler 250, acleaner 260, a data unit 280, an audio input unit 120, an image acquirer100, a sensor unit 150, a communicator 270, an operator 160, an outputunit 190, and a controller 200 for controlling all operations.

The operator 160 includes input means such as at least one button, aswitch, or a touch pad to receive a command of the user. The operatormay be provided in the upper end portion of the main body 10, asdescribed above.

The output unit 190 has a display such as an LED or an LCD, and displaysan operation mode, reservation information, a battery state, anoperation state, and an error state of the moving robot 1. In addition,the output unit 190 includes a speaker or a buzzer, and outputs apredetermined sound effect, warning sound, or voice guidancecorresponding to the operation mode, the reservation information, thebattery state, the operation state, and the error state.

The audio input unit 120 includes at least one microphone, and receivesa sound which is generated from a periphery within a certain distancefrom the main body 10 or generated within an area.

The audio input unit 120 may further include a signal processor (notillustrated) which filters, amplifies and converts the input sound.

In the data unit 280, an acquired image input from the image acquirer100 is stored, reference data for an obstacle recognizer 210 todetermine the obstacle is stored, and obstacle information for thedetected obstacle is stored.

In the data unit 280, data for recognizing an object such as a user orthe companion animal may be stored, sound data for dividing the inputsound may be stored, and data for dividing various accidents andperforming operations corresponding to the accidents may be stored.

Moreover, in the data unit 280, control data for controlling theoperation of the moving robot, data for a cleaning mode of the movingrobot, and a detection signal such as sound/laser detected by the sensorunit 150 are stored.

The data unit 280 stores data which can be read by a microprocessor, andmay include a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a Solid State Disk (SSD), a SiliconDisk Drive (SDD), a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppydisk, and an optical data storage device.

The communicator 270 communicates with a terminal 300 in a wirelesscommunication method. Moreover, the communicator 270 is connected to anInternet network via an in-home network and may communicate with anexternal server 90 or the terminal 300 controlling the moving robot.

The communicator 270 transmits the generated map to the terminal 300,receives the cleaning command from the terminal, and transmits dataregarding the operating state and the cleaning state of the moving robotto the terminal. In addition, the communicator 270 may transmitinformation on the obstacle detected during the traveling to theterminal 300 or the server 90.

The communicator 270 may transmit data such as a predetermined warningmessage corresponding to the sound generated in the area and the captureimage to the terminal of the designated user.

Moreover, the communication 270 may transmits a predetermined message toan external terminal, a service center, a repair center, a reportcenter, or the like, or connect a report phone.

The communicator 270 includes short-range wireless communication such asa

ZigBee or a Bluetooth and a communication module such as Wi-Fi and WiBroto transmit and receive data.

Meanwhile, the terminal 300 is a device which includes a communicationmodule to be connectable to the network and has a program forcontrolling the moving robot or an application for controlling themoving robot, and a device such as a computer, a laptop, a smartphones,a PDA, or a tablet PC may be used as the terminal 300. In addition, theterminal may also use a wearable device such as a smart watch.

The terminal 300 may output a predetermined warning sound or display areceived image according to the data received from the moving robot 1.

The traveler 250 includes at least one driving motor so that the movingrobot travels according to the control command of a traveling controller230. As described above, the traveler 250 may include a left wheeldriving motor rotating a left wheel and a right wheel driving motorrotating a right wheel.

The cleaner 260 operates the brushes so that the dust or the foreignsubstances around the moving robot can be easily sucked, and operatesthe suction device to suck the dust or foreign substances. The cleaner260 controls the operation of the suction fan provided in the suctionunit which sucks the foreign substances such as dust or garbage so thatthe dust is introduced into the foreign substances collection containerthrough the suction port.

In addition, the cleaner 260 is installed at a rear of a bottom surfaceof the main body, and may further include a damp floorcloth cleaner (notillustrated) which mops the bottom surface in contact with the bottomsurface and a water bucket (not illustrated) which supplies water to thedamp floorcloth cleaner. A cleaning tool may be mounted on the cleaner260. For example, a mop pad is mounted on the damp floorcloth cleaner toclean the bottom surface. The cleaner 260 may further include a separatedriving means for transmitting a rotational force to a damp mop pad ofthe damp floorcloth cleaner.

The battery (not illustrated) supplies not only the power required forthe driving motor, but also the power required for the entire operationof the moving robot 1. When the battery is discharged, the moving robot1 can travel to be returned to the charging stand for charging, andduring the return traveling, the moving robot 1 can self-detect alocation of the charging stand. The charging base may include a signaltransmitter (not illustrated) which transmits a predetermined returnsignal. The return signal may be an ultrasonic signal or an infraredsignal, but is not limited thereto.

The sensor unit 150 includes a plurality of sensors to detect theobstacle. The sensor unit 150 uses at least one of an ultrasound sensor,a laser sensor, and an infrared ray sensor to detect an obstacle in aforward direction, that is, the traveling direction. The sensor unit 150may detect a location of or a distance to an obstacle located in thetraveling direction based on the sensor signal.

In addition, the sensor unit 150 may further include a cliff detectionsensor which detects the presence of a cliff on the bottom in thetraveling area. When the transmitted signal is reflected and incident tothe sensor unit 150, the sensor unit 150 inputs information on theexistence of the obstacle or the distance to the obstacle as theobstacle detection signal to the controller 200.

The sensor unit 150 includes at least one inclination sensor to detectthe inclination of the main body. The inclination sensor calculates aninclined direction and angle when inclined in the front, rear, right,and right directions of the main body. The inclination sensor may use atilt sensor, an acceleration sensor, or the like, and in a case wherethe inclination sensor is an acceleration sensor, any of a gyro typesensor, an inertial type sensor, and a silicon semiconductor type sensorcan be applied.

In addition, the sensor unit 150 may detect an operation state or anabnormality through a sensor installed inside the moving robot 1.

The pattern acquirer 100 may include a camera which converts an image ofa subject into an electrical signal, and then converts the electricalsignal into a digital signal to store the digital signal in a memoryelement. The camera may include at least one optical lens, and an imagesensor (for example, a CMOS image sensor) which is configured to includea plurality of photodiodes (for example, pixels) imaged by light passingthrough the optical lens, and a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) whichconstitutes an image based on a signal output from light diodes. Thedigital signal processor can generate not only a still image but also amoving image including frames configured of still images.

The image sensor is a device which converts the optical image into anelectrical signal and includes a chip in which a plurality of photodiodes are integrated. For example, a pixel is the photodiode. Chargesare accumulated in each pixel by an image formed on the chip by lightpassing through the lens, and the charges accumulated in the pixels areconverted into electrical signals (for example, voltage). As the imagesensor, a Charge Coupled Device (CCD), a Complementary Metal OxideSemiconductor (CMOS), or the like is well known.

The image acquirer 100 continuously captures an image when the movingrobot is operated. In addition, the image acquirer 100 may capture animage at a predetermined period or a predetermined distance unit. Theimage acquirer 100 may capture an image when an obstacle is detected bythe sensor unit 150, and may also capture an image in a movement stateor a cleaning state in which an obstacle is not detected.

The image acquirer 100 may set a capturing cycle according to a movementspeed of the moving robot. In addition, the image acquirer 100 may setthe capturing cycle in consideration of the detection distance by thesensor unit and the movement speed of the moving robot.

The image acquirer 100 not only acquires an image in front of thetraveling direction, but can also capture the ceiling shape of the topin the traveling direction.

The image acquirer 100 stores the image captured while the main bodytravels in the data unit 280, as the image data 182.

The sensor unit 150 may input a detection signal for an obstacledetected by the provided sensor to the controller. The image acquirer100 inputs the captured image to the controller.

The controller 200 controls the traveler 250 so that the moving robottravels within a designated area of the traveling area.

The controller 200 processes the data input by the operation of theoperator 160 to set the operation mode of the moving robot, outputs theoperation state through the output unit 190, and outputs the warningsound, the sound effect, and the voice guidance according to theoperation state, the error state, or the detection of the obstaclethrough a speaker of the output unit 190.

The controller 200 generates a map for a traveling area based on theimage acquired from the image acquirer 100 or the obstacle informationdetected from the sensor unit 150. The controller 200 generates a mapbased on obstacle information during the traveling in the area, but maydetermine the shape of the traveling area from the image of the imageacquirer to generate the map.

The controller 200 analyzes the sound input from the audio input unit120 to determine the type of the sound. The controller 200 may determinea sound generation point, an object which generates the sound, or acause of a sound generation.

The controller 200 performs a control to execute a specified operationaccording to the type of the sound and the operation mode. Thecontroller 200 controls the main body to move to the sound generationpoint, and performs a specified operation according to the type of thesound.

For example, when the controller determines that water runs out in asink while there is no occupant, the controller 200 determines the soundof the water through the detected sound, moves the main body, and thencaptures an image and transmits the captured image the terminal 300 ofthe user. In addition, when the controller 200 detects an intrusion, thecontroller 200 may transmit a warning to the user terminal, and generateand transmit an intrusion warning to a police station or a securitycompany.

The controller 200 controls the traveler such that the travelerrecognizes an obstacle with respect to the obstacle detected from theimage acquirer 100 or the obstacle detector 150 and performs a specificoperation or moves to change a path according to the recognizedobstacle. In addition, the controller may output a predetermined soundeffect or warning sound through the output unit, if necessary, and maycontrol the image acquirer such that the image acquirer captures animage.

The controller 200 controls the traveler 250 and the cleaner 260 duringthe traveling so that the traveler 250 and the cleaner 260 absorb thedust or foreign substances around the moving robot, and thus, thecleaning with the respect to the traveling area is performed.Accordingly, the cleaner 260 operates the brush so that the dust orforeign substances around the moving robot is easily sucked, andoperates the suction device to suck the dust or foreign substances. Thecleaner is controlled to suck the foreign substances during thetraveling so as to perform the cleaning.

The controller 200 checks a charging capacity of the battery todetermine a time when the battery is to be returned to the chargingstand. When the charging capacity reaches a certain value, thecontroller 200 stops the operation being performed and starts searchingthe charging stand to return to the charging stand. The controller 200may output a notification regarding the charging capacity of the batteryand a notification regarding returning to the charging stand. Inaddition, the controller 200 may return to the charging stand when asignal transmitted from the charging stand is received through thecommunicator 270.

The controller 200 includes an obstacle recognizer 210, a map generator220, a travel controller 230, a sound recognizer 240, and an imageprocessor 290.

The map generator 220 generates a map for the area based on obstacleinformation while traveling the area during an initial operation or whena map for the area is not stored. In addition, the map generator 220updates the previously generated map based on the obstacle informationobtained during the traveling. The map generator 220 analyzes the imageacquired during the traveling to determine the shape of the area togenerate the map.

After the map generator 220 generates a basic map, the map generator 112divides the cleaning area into a plurality of areas, includes aconnection passage connecting the plurality of areas to each other, andgenerates a map including information on the obstacles in each area.

The map generator 220 processes the shape of the area for each dividedarea. The map generator 220 may set properties for a divided area.

Moreover, the map generator 220 may divide the area from featuresextracted from the image. The map generator 220 may determine thelocation of the door based on the connection relationship of thefeatures, and therefore, divide a boundary between the areas to generatea map constituted by a plurality of areas.

The obstacle recognizer 210 determines the obstacle through the datainput from the image acquirer 100 or the sensor unit 150.

The obstacle recognizer 210 calculates the direction of the obstacle orthe distance to the obstacle according to the detection signal of thesensor unit 150, for example, a signal such as the ultrasound or thelaser. Moreover, the obstacle recognizer 210 analyzes an acquired imageincluding the pattern to extract the pattern, and analyzes the shape ofthe pattern to determine the obstacle. When the obstacle recognizer 210uses the ultrasonic or infrared signal, the type of the receivedultrasound and a receiving time of the ultrasound are changed accordingto the distance to the obstacle or the location of the obstacle.Accordingly, the obstacle recognizer 210 determines the obstacle basedon the distance to the obstacle or the location of the obstacle.

The obstacle recognizer 210 can detect a human body. The obstaclerecognizer 210 analyzes the data input through the image detector 100 todetect the human body based on a silhouette, a size, a face shape of thehuman body, and determines whether or not the corresponding human bodyis a specific user. The obstacle recognizer 210 may store data of apre-registered user. For example, the obstacle recognizer 210 may storean image of the user and features according to a shape of the user asdata to determine whether or not the user is a registered user.

The obstacle recognizer 210 may also recognize the companion animal.

In addition, the obstacle recognizer 210 recognizes devices such as homeappliances, household goods, doors, and sinks.

The obstacle recognizer 210 analyzes the image data to extract thefeature of the obstacle and determines the obstacle based on the shape,the size, and the color of the obstacle so as to determine the locationof the obstacle.

The obstacle recognizer 210 may determine the type of the obstacle byextracting the feature of the obstacle based on the previously storedobstacle data, except for a background of the image from the image data.The obstacle data 181 is updated by new obstacle data received from theserver. The moving robot 1 may store obstacle data for the detectedobstacle and receive data about the type of the obstacle from the serverfor other data.

In addition, the obstacle recognizer 210 stores the recognized obstacleinformation in the obstacle data, and also transmits recognizable imagedata to the server 90 through the communicator 270 to determine the typeof the obstacle. The communicator 270 transmits at least one image datato the server 90.

The image processor 290 pre-processes the image input from the imageacquirer 100 and then analyzes the image. The image processor 290extracts the features from the captured image and analyzes the subjectcaptured in the image.

The image processor 290 compresses and converts the captured image. Theimage processor 290 may convert the image into a designated image formatfor transmission to the terminal 300 or the server.

In some cases, the image processor 290 may be included in the obstaclerecognizer 210. As described above, the obstacle recognizer 210 mayoperate as the image processor as the obstacle recognizer 210 recognizesthe obstacle from the image.

The sound recognizer 240 analyzes the sound input from the audio inputunit 120 to determine the type of the sound. The sound recognizer 240may determine the type of the sound based on information such as thesize, the wavelength, and the frequency of the sound, and a direction inwhich the sound is generated. The sound recognizer 240 determines thesound generation point, a cause of the sound, or the object whichgenerates the sound, according to the type of the sound.

The sound recognizer 240 applies the result for the sound generationpoint to the travel controller 230, and accordingly, the travelcontroller 230 controls to travel to the surrounding area based on thesound generation point.

In addition, the sound recognizer 240 may determine the cause of thesound or the object which generates the sound, based on pre-stored data.

For example, the sound recognizer 240 divides a crying sound of a baby,a coughing sound, and a crying sound of a companion animal to determinethe object which generates the sound. In addition, the sound recognizer240 can divide a sound of glass window breaking, a button sound of adoor lock of a front door, a sound when a door is opened or closed, aradio sound, a warning sound, TV sound, or the like.

In addition, when a voice is registered for each user, the soundrecognizer recognizes the user's voice to identify the user.

The sound recognizer 240 may include a signal processor which filtersand amplifies the sound collected through the audio input unit 120.

The travel controller 230 controls the traveler 250 such that thetraveler 250 travels the area based on the map, changes the movingdirection or traveling path in response to the detected obstacleinformation, or passes through the obstacle or avoids the obstacle.

The travel controller 230 controls the traveler 250 so as toindependently control the operations of the left wheel driving motor andthe right wheel driving motor so that the main body 10 travelsstraightly or travels while rotating. The travel controller 230 controlsthe traveler 250 and the cleaner 260 according to the cleaning commandso that the main body 10 sucks the foreign substances while travelingthe cleaning area and the cleaning is performed.

The travel controller 230 controls the traveler 250 to move to the areaset based on the map generated by the map generator 220 or to move amain body within the set area. In addition, the travel controller 113controls the traveler so that the traveler performs a predeterminedoperation or travels to change the traveling path in response to theobstacle.

The travel controller 230 controls the traveler so that the travelerperforms at least one of avoidance, approaching, setting of an approachdistance, stopping, deceleration, acceleration, a reverse travel,U-turn, and changing the travel direction in response to the detectedobstacle.

In addition, the travel controller 230 outputs an error and may output apredetermined warning sound or voice guidance as needed.

The travel controller 230 controls the main body so that the main bodymoves to the sound generation point or a point adjacent to the soundgeneration point in response to the signal input from the soundrecognizer 240.

When the main body reaches the sound generation point, the imageacquirer 100 captures an image. The traveler 250 may rotate at apredetermined speed while the image acquirer performs the capturing, andmay also rotate the main body at a designated rotation angle unit.

The controller 200 transmits a notification to the terminal of the userabout a determination result of the sound recognizer 240. In addition,the controller may transmit related sound data or image data of thecaptured image.

The controller 200 performs a control so that the specified operation isperformed according to the operation mode and the type of the sound. Inaddition, the controller 200 controls the main body so that the mainbody performs a predetermined operation based on the sound collectedthrough the audio input unit even in a normal mode in which a specificoperation mode is not set.

The controller 200 allows a specified operation to be performed when anoperation is specified for a specific sound or a specific object. Thecontroller may perform different operations according to the object andsound generation point of the sound generated by the sound recognizer.

For example, when the child is crying, the controller can play a lullabyand output the lullaby through the speaker. When the companion animalbarks, the controller may output a pre-recorded voice of the user orconnect the call to the terminal of the user through the communicator.In addition, the controller may turn on the TV so that a broadcast of aspecific channel is output.

Meanwhile, when the TV is turned on in a living room in a state wherethere is no occupant in the living room, the controller detects thesound of the TV to transmit an OFF signal adjacent to the TV. When theTV is connected to the network, the controller may turn off the power sothat the TV is turned off through the network connection. In addition,when the controller detects an intrusion, the controller may move to thecorresponding location, capture an image, transmit the image to theterminal, and transmit the intrusion warning to a designated policestation or security company.

The controller 200 may control the image acquirer to capture an image,output a warning sound through the output unit, and transmit a warningmessage through the communicator.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a signal flow according to anoperation of the moving robot according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the moving robot 1 collects the sound throughthe audio input unit 120 during the traveling or waiting (S11).

The moving robot 1 may store the collected sound and analyze the soundto determine the type of the sound. The moving robot 1 can determine theobject which generates the sound or the location where the sound isgenerated. In addition, the moving robot (1) may move to the soundgeneration point to capture an image and output a predetermined warning.

The moving robot 1 generates the captured image or a predeterminednotification message and transmits it to the designated terminal 300(S12).

The terminal 300 outputs a warning based on the received notificationmessage (S13), and also displays the received image.

The terminal 300 may transmit a control command to the moving robot 1 inresponse to the input of the user (S14). For example, the terminal maytransmit the control commands such as additional video capturing, awarning sound output, standby, and a movement to the moving robot.

In addition, the moving robot 1 may report to a relevant institutionaccording to the type of the sound. For example, the moving robot 1 mayreport to a security company, a police station, a fire department, orthe like (S15). When an intrusion occurs, the moving robot may report tothe police station, and when a fire occurs, the moving robot may reportto the fire department. The report can be transmitted in a reportmessage or a separate report form to a server 350 of the securitycompany, the police station, the fire department, or the like through alinkage program.

The server 350 receives the report (S17), transmits the report to aninstitution 380, such as a police station or a fire department, adjacentto where the accident occurs, and causes the police or firefighters todispatch (S18). In addition, the moving robot may report directly to thesecurity company, the police station, and the fire department locatedadjacent to the moving robot.

The moving robot 1 may transmit the report and matters related to thedispatch of related personnel to the terminal to report the progress.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method in which the moving robotaccording to the embodiment of the present disclosure detects a soundand controls an operation.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the moving robot 1 detects and collects thesound through the audio input unit 120 (S210). The controller 200filters and amplifies the collected sound.

The controller 200 analyzes the sound to determine determines the typeof the sound. The controller 200 checks the currently set operation modeof the moving robot 1 and analyzes a situation in the area according tothe type of the sound. The sound recognizer 240 of the controller 200analyzes the sound to determine the type of the sound.

The controller 200 may determine the sound generation point and theobject which generates the sound, as the type of the sound.

For example, it may be determined whether the sound is generated fromthe home appliances, doors, windows, or the like, or the sound of aperson or the sound of the companion animal may be divided to determinethe type of the sound. In addition, the sound generation point may be asound generation point, a room where the sound occurs, a small area, ora location adjacent to the sound generation point.

The controller 200 generates a notification message according to thetype of the sound and transmits the generated notification message tothe terminal 300 (S240).

In addition, the travel controller 230 of the controller 200 controlsthe traveler 250 so that the traveler 250 moves to the sound generationpoint (S250). The moving robot 1 may move to the sound generation point,that is, the sound generation point, the room where the sound occurs,the small area, or the location adjacent to the sound generation point.

When the moving robot 1 reaches the sound generation point, thecontroller 200 applies a control command to the image acquirer 100, andthe image acquirer 100 captures an image in response to the controlcommand (S260).

The traveler 250 may rotate at a predetermined speed at the soundgeneration point or stop after rotating at a predetermined rotationangle unit according to the control command of the travel controller230. The image acquirer 100 may capture the image in at least one of astill image, a moving image, and a panorama.

The controller 200 may analyze the image and determine the intrusionsituation or a dangerous situation (S270). In addition, the controller200 may determine a life noise.

The controller 200 may recognize the object (subject) through theobstacle recognizer 210 or the image processor 290 with respect to theimage captured through the image acquirer 100 to determine whether thesituation is an intrusion situation or an emergency situation.

The controller 200 determines the intrusion situation and the dangeroussituation according to a result of an image analysis in conjunction withthe currently set mode. For example, in a case where a moving personwhich is not recognizable is detected or a window is broken in a statewhere the security mode is set, the situation can be determined as anintrusion situation. In addition, the controller 200 may analyze theimage to determine whether a fire has occurred.

If the situation is determined to be the intrusion situation or theemergency situation, the controller 200 also transmits the capturedimage to the terminal 300 with a notification message.

In addition, the controller 200 may output a predetermined warning soundand report the warning sound to the designated institution (S280). Whenthe reporting is performed, the controller 200 may transmit informationon the detected sound and the captured image to the server (S290).

The controller 200 may transmit data to the server of the securitycompany, the police station, the fire department, or the like accordingto the generated situation, report the intrusion or emergency situation,or connect a call to the corresponding institution and output adesignated voice guidance.

Meanwhile, when a control command is received from the terminal 300 inresponse to the transmitted notification, the controller 200 is operatedaccording to the control command (S300). For example, the controller 200may output the warning sound in the area when the control commandaccording to the warning sound output is received.

Meanwhile, in the case of the life noise, when the sound is a soundgenerated by the occupant, the moving robot 1 may transmit an image tothe terminal and perform a specified operation according to a controlcommand of the terminal.

FIGS. 6A to 6C are views illustrating an embodiment of an operationaccording to the security mode setting of the moving robot according tothe embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 6A, when a sound occurs in a window P1 of aseventh area A7 of indoor areas, or when the sound occurs in a frontdoor P2 of a ninth area A9, the moving robot 1 detects and analyzes thesound to determine the type of the sound. The sounds are illustratedtogether for convenience of explanation. However, it should beunderstood that respective sounds do not occur at the same.

The moving robot 1 can detect the sound generated within the area evenwhen the moving robot 1 is changed on the charging stand PO or themoving robot travels.

The moving robot 1 can determine the sound generation point as averanda, and can determine the sound as a sound of the winddown. Thewindow sound can be divided into a sound when the window is opened orclosed, or a sound when the window is broken.

Moreover, when the sound is generated from the front door, the movingrobot 1 collects the corresponding sounds to determine the soundgeneration point to the sound generation point for the ninth area A9 ofthe front door. For example, the sound when the front door is opened orclosed and the button sound of the door lock are determined and divided.

When the sound is generated in the ninth area in the state where thesecurity mode is set, the moving robot 1 collects the sounds of theninth area and determines the sounds. Meanwhile, the moving robot 1 mayignore the sound of the front door generated in the ninth area in astate where the security mode is canceled.

As illustrated in FIG. 6B, the moving robot 1 sets moving paths L1 andL2 having the sound generation point as a destination, and moves to eachsound generation point. The moving robot 1 moves to the sound generationpoint. However, since the moving robot 1 cannot enter a seventh area A7of the veranda, the moving robot 1 moves to an adjacent fifth area A5.In addition, the moving robot 1 can move to a point adjacent to theninth area A9 of the front door.

As illustrated in FIG. 6C, when the moving robot 1 moves along therespective movement paths L1 and L2 and reaches the sound generationpoint, the moving robot 1 captures an image. The moving robot 1 capturesthe image in the seventh area and the ninth area, respectively.

When the moving robot 1 reaches the sound generation point and detectsthe obstacle or an intruder, the moving robot 1 may capture an image inthe corresponding direction to capture the obstacle or the intruder asthe subject. The moving robot 1 can capture and store an image even if aseparate obstacle or intruder is not detected.

In addition, when the moving robot 1 detects a new obstacle or a humanbody while moving to a sound generation point, the moving robot 1 maycapture an image.

In a case where the moving robot 1 detects an obstacle which is notincluded in the map at the sound generation point or while moving thesound generation point, the moving robot 1 may capture an image todetect a human body which is not registered.

The moving robot 1 transmits the captured image to the terminal 300 sothat the user can check the situation in the area.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method according to thesecurity mode setting of the moving robot according to the embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the moving robot 1 detects a sound (S310) andanalyzes the detected sound.

The moving robot 1 determines whether the currently set mode is a methodmode (S320). In addition, the moving robot 1 may determine whether thesituation is the intrusion state according to the analysis result of thedetected sound, that is, the type of the sound, in a state in which thesecurity mode is set (S330).

For example, in a case where the sound of the door or the window beingopened, the sound of the window being broken, and the button sound ofthe door lock is generated when the security mode is set, the situationmay be determined to be the intrusion situation. When the security modeis canceled, the button sound of the door lock, the sound when the dooris opened or closed, or the like can be ignored.

If the mode is not the security mode and the situation is not theintrusion situation, it is determined whether the noise is the lifenoise or the noise caused by the occupant (A).

According to a result of analyzing the sound, if it is determined thatthe situation is the intrusion situation is in the state where thesecurity mode is set, the moving robot 1 moves to the sound generationpoint (S350). Before and after the moving robot moves to the soundgeneration point, the moving robot may generate a notification orwarning to transmit the notification or warning to the terminal 300(S340).

When the moving robot 1 reaches the sound generation point, the imageacquirer 100 is operated to capture an image (S360).

The image acquirer 100 may capture a plurality of images atpredetermined time intervals. In addition, the image acquirer 100 maycapture any one of a moving image, a panoramic image, or a plurality ofstill images while the main body rotates.

The controller 200 may control the image acquirer so that the imageacquire detects the movement within an area in response to a detectionsignal of the sensor unit, and captures an image in a direction in whichthe movement is detected.

The controller 200 may transmit the captured image to the terminal 300.

The image processor 290 of the controller 200 analyzes the capturedimage (S370), and the obstacle recognizer 210 determines whether thereis the intruder from the image (S380). In addition, the controller 200may determine whether an intrusion occurs according to the controlcommand received from the terminal 300 in response to the previouslytransmitted image.

The controller 200 may compare the captured images at predetermined timeintervals, determine movement, and recognize the human body in theimages to determine the intruder. In addition, the controller 200 maydetermine whether the human body of the image is a pre-registered humanbody or the intruder through face recognition.

If it is determined to be an intruder, the controller 200 outputs awarning sound through the output unit (S390). Moreover, the controller200 may report the intruder through communicator (S400).

In addition, if the human body is not the intruder, the controllercancels the intrusion situation (S410). In some cases, the controllercancels the intrusion situation according to a control command receivedfrom the terminal.

FIGS. 8A to 8C are views illustrating an embodiment of an operation ofthe moving robot according to the embodiment of the present disclosurewith respect to the life noise.

As illustrated in FIG. 8A, within the area, the moving robot detects asound generated in a kitchen P3 of the fifth area A5 or a bathroom P4 ina tenth area A10.

The moving robot 1 can divide a sound by cooking utensils of the kitchenand a sound of water in the bathroom based on the collected sound todetermine the location of the sound. When the moving robot 1 detects thewound of the water, the moving robot 1 may extract that the location ofthe sound is the kitchen or the bathroom.

As illustrated in FIG. 8B, when a sound is generated in the fifth areaA5, the moving robot 1 moves to the fifth area along the third movementpath L3.

Moreover, when the sound of the water is generated in the tenth areaA10, the moving robot 1 moves to the tenth area along a fourth movementpath L4.

The moving robot 1 may move to the sound generation point according tothe presence or absence of the occupant or the setting of the outgoingmode. In addition, even if there is the occupant in the normal mode, themoving robot 1 may move to the sound generation point when the samesound occurs for a predetermined time or longer.

As illustrated in FIG. 8C, the moving robot 1 captures an image throughthe image acquirer 100 for the fifth area A5 and the tenth area A10,respectively.

When the moving robot 1 does not enter the tenth area, the moving robot1 may capture an image for the tenth area at an adjacent fourth point P4a.

The moving robot 1 transmits the captured image to the terminal andanalyzes the image to determine whether the situation is the emergencysituation.

For example, if contents of a pot boil over in the kitchen or a burnersuch as a gas stove is operated, a warning sound may be output. If theburner is operated in a situation where the human body is not detectedin the kitchen, a warning message may be transmitted to the terminal.

In addition, if it is determined that a fire occurs, not only a warningis output through the output unit, but the fire can be reported to thefire department through a communicator.

In the case of the sound of the water, the moving robot outputs awarning sound and can also transmit the image for the tenth area to theterminal to transmit a notification message indicating that the waterruns out.

Meanwhile, when the moving robot moves to the fifth area or the tentharea and a human body is detected in the corresponding area, the movingrobot may ignore the collected sound and may be returned to the chargingstand.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the moving robotaccording to the embodiment of the present disclosure with respect tothe life noise.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the moving robot 1 analyzes a detected sound(S430) to determine the type of the sound.

The moving robot 1 determines whether the detected sound is the lifenoise (S440).

In addition, when the sound is not the life noise, the moving robot maydetermine whether the situation is the intrusion situation describedabove.

When the noise is the life noise, the moving robot 1 determines whetherthe mode is the outgoing mode (S450). Moreover, the moving robotdetermines whether there is an occupant (S460).

When the outgoing mode is set and there is no occupant, if the lifenoise is detected, the moving robot 1 determines that the situation isabnormal, the moving robot 1 may transmit the notification to theterminal 300 (S470).

The moving robot 1 moves to the sound generation point (S480), andcaptures an image for the sound generation point (S490). In addition,the moving robot 1 can determine the emergency situation based on thedetection signal of the sensor unit.

The moving robot 1 analyzes the image and determines whether thesituation is the emergency situation (S500). For example, the movingrobot 1 may analyze the image to determine whether a fire occurs. Inaddition, the moving robot 1 can determine whether the situation is theemergency situation based on the detection signal detected from thesensor unit. For example, a fire sensor may be used to determine whethera fire occurs.

The moving robot 1 divides the emergency situation such as the fire andthe abnormal situation, when the situation is the emergency situation,the moving robot reports the emergency situation (S510), and transmits anotification for the emergency situation to the terminal (S520). Acriterion between the emergency situation and the abnormal situation canbe changed by the setting of the user.

Meanwhile, in the case of the abnormal situation, for example, in a casewhere the water runs out in the bathroom, the moving robot determinesthat the situation is the abnormal situation, transmits the image to theterminal, and performs a specified operation.

In addition, when TV is turned on in the outgoing mode, the moving robot1 may transmit a notification and turn off the power to turn off the TV.When the TV is connected to the network, the operation of the TV can becontrolled through a network connection.

Meanwhile, in a case where a separate operation mode is not set, whenthe moving robot 1 detects the sound of the TV, the moving robot maycontrol the suction force or the rotation of the brush according to adistance to the TV so as to reduce the noise generated from the mainbody.

In case where the moving robot detects the sound of TV or a music duringthe cleaning, when the moving robot enters a predetermined distance fromthe TV, the audio device, or a speaker, the moving robot reduce thenoise generated from the main body. The moving robot may reduce themoving speed, the suction force, and the rotation of the brush to reducethe noise.

For example, the moving robot 1 sets the rotation of the brush havingthe suction force of 20,000 to 500 within 5 m from the TV, sets therotation of the brush having the suction force of 34,000 to 700 in arange of 5 m to 10 m from the TV, and sets the rotation of the brushhaving the suction force of 45,000 to 1,000 in a range of 10 m or morefrom the TV so that the degree of the sound can be adjusted according toa distance from the object generating the sound, that is, a distance tothe TV or the audio device.

FIGS. 10A to 10C are views illustrating an embodiment of an operationwhen the moving robot according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure detects an occupant.

As illustrated in FIG. 10A, the moving robot detects the noise generatedin the area. The moving robot 1 may be operated as follows in a humancare mode.

When the cough sound is generated in the fourth area A4, the movingrobot 1 may analyze the detected sound and determine that the type ofthe sound is a person's cough sound. In some cases, the moving robot 1can divide the point where the cough sound occurs based on theinformation of each room.

In addition, when a puppy barks in the first area A1, the moving robot 1may analyze the detects sound and determine that the type of the soundis the sound of the companion animal.

Further, when a cry sound of a baby is generated in the second area A2,the moving robot 1 may detect the sound and determine that the type ofthe sound is the baby's cry.

The moving robot determines the type of the sound based on thepre-stored data. The moving robot 1 may analyze the feature of thedetected sound and determine the type of the sound based on the size,the wavelength, and the frequency of the sound.

The moving robot 1 may determine the sound generation point based on thedirection in which the sound occurs. In addition, the moving robot 1 mayset a reference degree according to the type of the sound based on thepre-stored data and determine the distance in response to the degree ofthe sound.

As illustrated in FIG. 10B, the moving robot 1 sets movement paths L5,L6, and L7 targeting the sound generation point and moves along thepaths.

As illustrated in FIG. 10C, when the moving robot 1 moves to the soundgeneration point, the moving robot captures the image. The image can becaptured in various forms such as a still image, a moving image, and apanoramic image.

The moving robot which has moved to the fourth area A4 may capture ahuman body O5 at a fifth point of the fourth area.

The moving robot which has moved to the second area A2 may capture animage of a crying baby.

The moving robot which has moved to the sixth point P6 may capture animage of the companion animal.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the moving robotaccording to the embodiment of the present disclosure when the movingrobot detects the occupant.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the moving robot 1 detects and analyzes thesound collected through the audio input unit 120 (S550). The controller200 may analyze the wavelength, the size, the frequency, and the patternof the sound to determine the type of the sound.

The moving robot 1 can determine whether to move according to theoperation mode and the type of the sound. When the human care mode isset, the moving robot 1 performs an operation in response to theoccupant.

First, the moving robot 1 determines whether there is the occupant(S560), and the moving robot 1 is operated to be divided into the casewhere there is the occupant and the case where there is no occupant.

When the sound is detected in the situation in which there is theoccupant, the moving robot 1 moves to the sound generation point (S570)and captures the image at the sound generation point (S580).

The moving robot 1 checks the object according to the occurrence of thesound (S590). The object is a source from which the sound is generated,and may be the person, the companion animal, or the home appliances.

When the object is a person, the controller 200 analyzes the image toclassify whether the object is a human body or not, and divide the humanbody into the baby and the elderly person (S600 and S620). Thecontroller 200 may determine whether the human is a registered userthrough the obstacle recognizer or the image processor to recognize theobject.

When the object is a baby, as described above, in a case where thecrying sound of the baby is generated in the second area, the controller200 moves to the second area to capture the image of the baby, and thus,may check that the object is the baby through the sound and the image.When the moving robot moves based on the crying sound of the baby anddetermines that the object is the baby through the image, apredetermined music may be played (S610).

Moreover, the moving robot 1 may connect a call or output a recordedvoice. When the call is connected, the moving robot 11 may be connectedthrough a speaker, a TV, and a home terminal connected to the network.

The controller 200 may transmit the notification or the image to theterminal 300.

When the object is an elderly person, the controller 200 transmits thenotification and the captured image to the designated terminal 300.

The controller 200 may determine whether the situation is an emergencysituation through the image analysis (S640). For example, when theelderly person who is the object falls, falls down, or has no movementfor a certain period of time, the controller 200 may determine that thesituation is the emergency situation.

When the situation is determined to be the emergency situation, themoving robot 1 may report an accident to a 119 paramedic or a hospital(S660).

When, when the companion animal is detected (S650), the moving robot 1may transmit a notification and image, and connect a call with aregistered terminal.

When a control command is received from the terminal, the moving robot 1performs a specified operation according to the control command (S680).For example, the designated music may be played or a voice may beoutput.

Meanwhile, in an environment care mode, when a sound is detected in asituation where there is no occupant in the area, the moving robot 1determines that the sound is a sound output from the home appliances,for example, a TV, a radio, or an audio device, according to the type ofthe sound (S590).

When the sound is the sound of TV, the moving robot moves to the soundgeneration point, and causes the power of the TV to be turned offthrough the network connection (S700).

The moving robot according to the present embodiment operated asdescribed above may be implemented by a form of an independent hardwaredevice, and may be driven in a form included in other hardware devicessuch as a microprocessor or general-purpose computer system as at leastone processor.

The above description is merely illustrative of a technical idea of thepresent disclosure, and a person skilled in the art to which the presentdisclosure belongs will be able to make various modifications andvariations within a scope which does not depart from the essentialcharacteristics of the present disclosure. Therefore, the embodimentdisclosed in the present disclosure is not intended to limit a technicalspirit of the present disclosure but is to explain the presentdisclosure, and a scope of the technical spirit of the presentdisclosure is not limited by the embodiment.

1. A moving robot comprising: a main body configured to travel an area;a sensor unit configured to include a plurality of sensors and detectsan obstacle or a movement; an audio input unit to configured to collecta sound; a sound recognizer configured to analyze the sound collected bythe audio input unit and determine a type of the sound; an imageacquirer configured to capture an image; and a controller configured tocause the main body to move to a sound generation point according to thetype of the sound and an operation mode, analyze the image captured bythe image acquirer at the sound generation point to determine an indoorsituation, and performs an operation corresponding to the indoorsituation.
 2. The moving robot of claim 1, wherein when the controllerdetects the sound, the controller generates a notification correspondingto the type of the sound or a notification including the image totransmit a warning sound to a designated terminal.
 3. The moving robotof claim 1, wherein, when the sound detected by the audio input unitmaintains for a certain period of time in a normal mode, the controllermoves to the sound generation point and captures an image through theimage acquirer.
 4. The moving robot of claim 1, wherein during cleaning,the controller controls operations of a suction unit and a brushaccording to a distance to the sound generation point in response to thesound detected by the audio input unit.
 5. The moving robot of claim 1,wherein when the sound is a life noise, the controller outputs a warningsound when there is no occupant at the sound generation point and waitsor is returned to an existing location when there is an occupant at thesound generation point.
 6. The moving robot of claim 1, wherein when thecontroller detects a life noise in an outgoing mode, the controllerdetermines that the situation is abnormal and moves to the soundgeneration point, and when an operation sound by home appliances isdetected in the outgoing mode, the controller ends operations of homeappliances connected by a network.
 7. The moving robot of claim 1,wherein the controller analyzes the image to determine whether there isa fire, and reports a fire when the fire occurs.
 8. The moving robot ofclaim 1, wherein when a human body is detected from the image at thesound generation point, the controller recognizes a baby and an elderlyperson and outputs a designated sound effect or voice, and thecontroller determines whether the situation is emergent in response to atype of the sound and a movement of the human body and reports theemergency situation.
 9. The moving robot of claim 1, wherein thecontroller detects a companion animal from the image at the soundgeneration point and outputs a designated sound effect or voice.
 10. Themoving robot of claim 1, wherein when the sound is detected in asecurity mode, the controller moves to the sound generation point anddetects a movement through the sensor unit, captures an image throughthe image acquirer at a point at which the movement is detected, anddetermines that the situation is an intrusion situation to reports theintrusion situation to a designated institution.
 11. The moving robot ofclaim 1, wherein the sound recognizer determines a type of the sound andthe sound generation point through at least one of a degree of thesound, a direction in which the sound is generated, a frequency of thesound, and a pattern of the sound.
 12. A method of controlling a movingrobot, comprising: detecting, by an audio input unit, a sound generatedin an area; analyzing the sound to determine a type of the sound; movingthe moving robot to a sound generation point according to the type ofthe sound and an operation mode; capturing an image for the soundgeneration point; and analyzing the image to determine an indoorsituation and performing an operation corresponding to the indoorsituation.
 13. The method of controlling a moving robot of claim 12,further comprising: generating a notification corresponding to the typeof the sound or a notification including the image to transmit a warningsound to a terminal.
 14. The method of controlling a moving robot ofclaim 12, further comprising: when the sound detected by the audio inputunit maintains for a certain period of time in a normal mode, moving themoving robot to the sound generation point to capture an image; andduring cleaning, controlling operations of a suction unit and a brushaccording to a distance to the sound generation point in response to thesound detected by the audio input unit.
 15. The method of controlling amoving robot of claim 12, further comprising: when the sound is a lifenoise, detecting whether or not there is an occupant and moving themoving robot to the sound generation point when there is no occupant;and returning the moving robot when there is an occupant.
 16. The methodof controlling a moving robot of claim 12, further comprising: when alife noise is detected in an outgoing mode, determining that a situationis abnormal and moving the moving robot to the sound generation point,and when an operation sound by home appliances is detected in theoutgoing mode, ending operations of home appliances connected by anetwork.
 17. The method of controlling a moving robot of claim 12,further comprising: analyzing the image to determine whether there is afire; outputting warning when the fire occurs; and reporting the fire.18. The method of controlling a moving robot of claim 12, furthercomprising: when a human care mode is set, detecting a human body fromthe image at the sound generation point and recognizing a baby and anelderly person; outputting a designated sound effect or voicecorresponding to the human body; determines whether a situation isemergent in response to a type of the sound and a movement of the humanbody; and reporting the emergency situation.
 19. The method ofcontrolling a moving robot of claim 12, further comprising: detecting acompanion animal from the image; and outputting a designated soundeffect or voice corresponding to the companion animal.
 20. The method ofcontrolling a moving robot of claim 12, further comprising: detecting amovement for the sound generation point in a security mode; capturing animage for a point at which the movement is detected; determining thatthe situation is an intrusion situation when a human body which is notregistered at the sound generation point is detected; and reporting theintrusion situation to a designated institution.